The Chillon Castle

The Chillon Castle has been around for over 1000 years. The castle that exists today is a medieval style castle that was built in the thirteenth century, on the site of a castle built in the ninth century. Its’ first use is believed to be that of a strategic post for Roman soldiers during the early Middle Ages. The foundation of the current castle was built by the bishops of the Sion and Rhone valley during the eleventh century. The first writing about this castle appeared in 1160, and it was at that time that the castle came under siege and was captured.

From 1189 until the thirteenth century, various counts of Savoy ruled the castle. Count Thomas of Savoy began the modifications and enlargements on the castles in 1189, and these changes continued through the thirteenth century. Pierre II of Savoy (Peter II of Savoy) has been accredited for the current structure of the Chillon Castle. His construction consisted of the outer walls, towers and buildings. Machicoulis reinforce the curtain that faces inward as well as the four largest towers. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the gate in the castle was rebuilt, and height was added to the walls and each of the towers. All other major structures were built during this time period. For nearly two centuries, the castle was used as a summer residence for various counts of Savoy.

In 1536, the Bernese captured Canton Vaud, the southwestern area of Switzerland’s plateau region and the northern part of Lake Geneva, and the castle became the location of the Bernese bailiff and it was used as an arsenal. It stayed this way until 1798 when the Swiss revolution took place. Throughout the nineteenth century, the castle was used as a prison for the military.

Castle Chillon is best known for its location. It is located on an island in Lake Geneva (Lake Leman). It has been built in the most strategic place on Lake Geneva’s northern shore. Lake Geneva grants access to France, northern Italy and western Switzerland. The castle has been placed where the foothills from the Bernese Alps lead down to Lake Geneva, which leaves only a small path along its shores. This is ideal for the castle because it gave the ruler of the castle control of the lake passage, as well as the road passage. The castle is by one of the most important trade and military routes of the time. The castle could only be accessed by a bridge that leads to the gatehouse.

Although the castle has over two dozen buildings and three courtyards, it is best known for its dungeons. The dungeons were carved out of the rock that supports the castle’s foundations. Even when there were no permanent rulers of the castle, it was used as a prison.

F/4.5, 1/80 sec, ISO – 100, Photoshop CS6

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About The Inspiration Shots

My name is Tommy Too and I'm a newbie in photography and blogging. The intention of creating this blog is to share some of my work and to keep track the improvement of my photography skill. Nevertheless the most important thing is to getting feedback or comment from other professional photographer just like you.

Thank you for liking “Strange Passage.” I enjoyed looking at your nice photo of Chillon Castle and reading about its sad but interesting history. Wow, this castle is over 1000 years old! It is hard for me to imagine existing that long. 🙂

Photography and traveling are 2 of my favorite things to do, and found many photo opportunities on different parts of the world. Since you like my blog, Hong Kong in Four Days, pls. Check out my website http://www.ramonadetravels.wordpress.com and see how I travel the world with my lens.

I really like this shot of Chillon! Typically you see the castle from the other side and the image is reflected in the perfectly still lake shore. Your photo has an almost spooky quality that looks so raw with the wintery colors and the choppy water. Cool!

Big Bear
We ignored you after 22 – 30 million died
in World War II. Favored China, reliably
corrupt, into having a Feudal class, but you lacked
the prowess to extract your own oil, we could still
do oil business with you, Big Bear, but the rest
went to China: the shipping, manufacturing, even
new mergers wherein Chinese firms now own Volvo
and the PC division of IBM! So Sochi was to be
Putin’s horse, so someone burned Kiev right then!
(CIA?) Distressed, due to the viciousness of events
Around the globe, neighborhood, we divert attention
from our own digression at home to a potential
(yet again) war in a third party’s country, Ukraine,
which NATO is willing to exterminate in order to lure
today’s tanks into a larger skirmish in case the ISIS
crisis flames out. Gotta have back up wars and back
them up in case the main wars sputter. It’s a new
Pentagon directive, as witnessed by the annual troop
and ship movements every March on the North/South
Korean border. Tom “Obama-Hawk” drones fly again.

Carolina Wren

This time a solitary wren perches on
power lines that divide purple-blue sky,
slicing rhombi, diamonds, thin rectangles,
pushing geometry into a regular autumn
morning. This makes you wonder how birds
keep their feet warm in countries with no
power, or how people survive on a hundred
bucks a year, or where refugees go when war
hits. Our wren flies, a speck, ever smaller
as she finds her way. Given our superior
brain capacity, how is it we cause misery
across the planet while creatures so small
live, content to take their share peacefully?

I think the angle is very good and the misty atmosphere nicely enhances the mood. One thing I would have changed if I was taking the shot would be to get a little lower so that the branch from the right side framed the castle at the top right rather than intersecting the roof lines of the castle. I was also wondering whether you might have been able to get more of a velvety appearance to the small waves on the water if you used a neutral density filter and that would have blend nicely with the misty look visible on the left side?